Meanwhile, reports indicate that this upcoming title will feature a rather simple storyline in order to appreciate its multiplayer gameplay. Recently conducted interviews suggest that the Ubisoft title will rely solely on an emergent narrative and a changing map in order to encourage players to make up stories of their own. For MMOs, this is not a rare practice. However, it enjoys a mixed reputation with the console gamers. All in all, the title will be thin on scripted narrative. Instead, the actions of the players during missions will give rise to exciting, unpredictable scenarios.
In the beginning, players will be dropped into a distressing version of NYC. The urban area is a victim of complete chaos due to a smallpox outbreak all across the United States. Sadly, care of this virus has been halted since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Amidst political pressure from various sides, it is The Division’s job to maintain complete order and prevent the infection from spreading. According to Ubisoft’s Martin Hultberg, the developers have tried to keep the film sequences to a bare minimum so that players remain immersed in raw gameplay. Sadly, this means that The Division’s sprawling world won’t feature any complex story threads like in the Mass Effect franchise. The gameplay will stress more on the occurrences of New York’s struggling era.
Stay tuned for more updates on Tom Clancy’s The Division!